The Labour Party has appealed to both the Federal Government and the Organised Labour to return to the negotiation table and find a mutually acceptable solution to end the ongoing strike.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, expressed concern about the strike’s impact on Nigerians, citing the rapid deterioration of essential services like electricity, healthcare, and water supply.
The party emphasized the need for both parties to find common ground and relieve the suffering of the masses, according to Channels TV.
The statement urged the government and labour unions to shift their positions and meet at a point that would bring an end to the industrial action, which has thrown Nigerians into yet another hardship.
The Labour Party’s call for resumed negotiations highlights the need for constructive dialogue and a people-centric approach to resolve the dispute and address the plight of Nigerians affected by the strike.
It said, “It is our opinion that the Federal Government ought not to have allowed the strike to commence in the first instance. And whether a new minimum wage is due, the answer is yes, because the reality as of today is that the current minimum wage of N30.000 can not even take anybody home. It cannot stand the economic realities of the people today. This reality accords the importance of an upward review of the minimum wage.”
The party noted that the labour and government need to shift their position in the spirit of negotiation “so that we can have something reasonable from both sides.
“The amount being tabled by the Federal Government can be upped but the Organised Labour must also prune their demands.
“We want to urge both parties to come back to the drawing tables. We particularly appeal to the Federal Government, that they must play the role of the father figure by ensuring that Labour comes back to the table so that they can discuss and agree to avert the current suffering that the people are going through,” the statement added.
The Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, had on Monday, flagged off a nationwide industrial action over the inability of the federal government to consent to its proposed minimum wage for Nigerian workers in relation to the current economic realities.
According to them, the current minimum wage of ₦30,000 can no longer cater to the well-being of an average Nigerian worker, lamenting that not all governors are paying the current wage award which expired in April 2024, five years after the Minimum Wage Act of 2019 was signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari. The Act should be reviewed every five years to meet with contemporary economic demands of workers.
